Sound-box.



J. S. KEER.

SOUND BOX.

'PPLIOATION FILED 1320.28, 1007.

Patented 001;. 20,' 1908- Fig. 5.

A TTOHNE YS l ilarger'disk, is mounted upon the outer ring 7 and is also held in position by means of the screws 9 which pass through suitable peripheral openings in the cover.

The diaphragm -8 has a central opening 11; and at the faces is provided with transverse bracing strips or members 12 and 13. The members 12 and 13, at the opposite faces of the diaphragmextend at right angles' with respect to each other. The central members extend over the opening 1 1 and intersect at substantially the center of the diaphra'gm.- The bracing membersmay be tormed from any suitable material such as a 'close grained wood or the like and are tapered at the extremities, being thickest at their middles, thereby insuring sufficient rigidityv at the central portion of the diaphragm.. A washer 14 approximating in thickness that of the diaphragm, is arranged between the intersecting central bracing members. In the form of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2 a threaded stylus rod 15 has arranged there- 'upon a tapered block 16 seating against the washer 14 through an opening of one of the center bracing members. At the outer face of the diaphragm the threaded stylus rod extends beyond the tapered block and is arranged in correspondingly threaded openings of the washer 14 and the central bracing member 12 at the 4opposite side of the diaphragm 8. -In this way the stylus rod isrigidly secured to the diaphragm at the central o"ening l1 of the same without the use of V cement or the like. The bracing inem ers can be mounted u on the diaphragm in any suitable manner which avoids the use of 'glue or cement; f or instance, by the use of albumen.

The stylus rod 15 extends through a central'opening-17 of the cover 1() and passes through -a flexible membrane 1S arranged over the opening and held in position by means of a ring 19 and a cap 20, which are mounted upon the cover 1U by means of screws 21 passing through suitable openings. The cap 20 has a central aperture 22 through which the stylus bar passes. The latter has at the end a sapphire or other point 23 which engages the record. A nut 24Yis screwed `upon the stylus bar and holds the flexible membrane lirmly between the end oi the taperedblock and the nut, thus insuring that the construction is air-ti ht. The ring 19 may. consist of any suitab e gasket material.

vided with a single cover 25 corresponding to the cover 10 and mounted upon the outer ring 7. The cover 25 has openings 26 therethrough, preferably four in number and arranged symmetrically between the center of the cover and the periphery. The cover, furthermore, has a centralopening 27 through which a threaded .bar 2S can project. [n this form the bar 28 does not act as a stylus but has the stylus bar 29 secured thereto by nieansof nuts 30. The stylus bar 29 is pivoted by means of knife edges 31 at a suitable bracket 32 mounted near the end of the sound box and has a device `33 for removably securing needle points 34 thereto. With the open form of the sound box the diaphragm has no central opening l 1 but is unperforated. The braces 12 and 13 are the'same however,

as in the perforated diaphragm, the construcparticularly useful for the production of loud` sounds.

The flexible membrane 20 can be fashioned from any suitable material such as leather, fabric and the like, andshould possess 'suflicient flexibility and be of such texture that air cannot readily pass therethrough.

The device 33 for removably securing the needle points'34E to the sound box, comprises a socket 35 which is split andiof tapered form. The socket is exteriorly provided with threads 36, and has a nut 37 which can be screwed longitudinally of the socket to `am the -point 34 securely in position. he socket is formed from resilient material such as spring metal, which tends to maintain the socket in 'a normal position.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent:-

1. In a sound box, a diaphragm having an opening therethrough, and. means for connecting a stylus bar to said diaphragm at said o ening intermediate and remote from the e ges of the diaphragm forming said opening. 2. In a sound box, a diaphragm havin an opening therethrough, land bracing mem ers rigidly secured to one of the faces of said diaphragm and extending across the same, said members being cont' uouswith respect to said diaphragm throng out their lengths.

3. In a sound box, a'diaphragm havin an opening therethrough, and bracing mem ers rigidly mounted upon said diaphragm and extending over said opening.

- 4. In a sound box, a diaphragm having an o ening therethrough, bracing members rigid y mointed upon 'said diaphragm and extending over said opening, and means for securing-a stylus bar to one of said members within said opening. l

5. In a sound box, a'diaphragm having an opening therethrough, bracing members .semis riifidiv mounted u )on said dia hra in and said o eninv, one of said braeinr members s l s extending over said opening in diii'erent directions, a stylus liar, and means for securing said stylus bar to said inemberswithin said opening. g i

l i3. A. sound box, having'a diaphra'fm-provided with elongated bracing mem ers secured thereto at oppositefaces of the same and extending across said faees and contiguous with respect thereto for the rreater part of the length o f each of said menibers.

vided with elongated iraeing inem )ei-s mounted upon opposite faeesvof said diaphragm, said bracing members ofthe opposie laces being arranged at angles with each oiher. l A sound box, having a dliapi'iraL-inprovided with-an opening therethrough,'bracin f members mounted atv opposite faces of sai diaphragm and extending over said opening, a stylus bar, and means carried by said stylus bar for securing `the same to said bracing members at. said opening intermediate the edges thereof.

, S). A soundv box, havin 'a diaphra m ro-"v vided with an opening t erthroug i, e ongated bracing members mounted at the op- .posite faces of said diaphragm andextending over said opening, one of said bracingmem bers having an opening` therethrough, a bloei; arranged in said opening of said bracing member and seated against the opposite bracing member, and a stylus bar havinf an extension carried by said bracing-mem ers and said block.

10. A sound box having a diaphragm arranged 'therewithin and provided with an opening therethrough, said diaphragm having oppositely arranged bracing members at the opposite .faces thereof extending over i i l l i having an opening, a block arranged in said opening of said braemff member, a washer .arranged between said bracing members, .said washer and said block having threaded openings, a stylus bar having athreaded extension arranged in said threaded openings,

and a cover mounted upon said easing and having an openingr provided with a flexible membrane, said stvlus bar extension passing s through said flexible. membrane. 7. ,-fi sound box, havinr a diaphragm prof lx1. A sound box, comprising a sound proof easing, a diaphragm within said easing, a sound-proof cover upon said easing and having an opening, and a' stylus bar secured to said diaphragm and passing through said.

opening and havin" a flexible sound-proof connection t-lierewiti. y

12. A sound box, com rising an air-tight easing, a. diaphragm wit iin said easing, an air-tight cover upon said casing having an openingtherethrough, a flexible membrane In testimony' whereof I have signed my naine to this 'specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

Witnesses HENRY G. OxLizY, DAvID WiLLiAiis.

JAMES SMiTH KERK.V 

